Problem with cat5 network wiring

Posted by: j8hn on 02 July 2005

I've just moved into a new house and am trying to hook up my network of 3 PCs. The house is on three floors and has rj45 network sockets in each room 'cept these are not wired up, the cable's there it's just not connected to the socket. Cable is run from each socket up to an inspection box on the 2nd floor. I assume this "circuit" has been left like this so that the home owner can have it configured to his/her taste.
So - I just want to be able to connect the Office [1st floor] to Music room [ground floor], I've traced which cable in the 2nd floor inspection box leads to which socket in each room. I then spliced these together, hooked up the sockets in each room, connected up PCs and Router and it didn't work. I double checked everything, checked continuity on the cables individually and on the two spliced together. I even checked continuity through the sockets using an RJ45 plug with a flying lead and still nothing!

I've obviously made some stupid and basic mistake here but I can't see what.

Incidently I quickly lashed up a long length of cat5 cable between the two rooms, hooked up and eveything works. WAF on this is of course nil so I need to get the proper "built in" circuit functioning.

Any help gratefully received please.

Posted on: 02 July 2005 by Ancipital

I would hazard a guess that as it's a new house, all the cables meet in a patch box.

I would hazard a guess that you should've have had a hub sitting in your patch box. There's two types of cabling for RJ45, straight through & the other is twisted pair. For most cabling going into a router, straight through is fine. If you're doing pc to pc, then it's twisted pair.

You say you spliced the cables together in the patch panel? You shouldn't have needed to do this if you've cut the cable as they should've just had RJ45 jacks on the end.

Without actually seeing it, it's hard to say to be honest.

Steve.

Posted on: 03 July 2005 by j8hn

cables in patchbox have been left as cut ends, they're also like this in each wall socket. All I'm doing is trying to connect one wall socket to another so of course the cables are wired straight through NOT crossed. Yes one would probably put a hub in the main patchbox but I'm just trying to establish a simple straight through circuit. I've established this with a long flying lead; it would be so much neater if I could get the circuit throught the two wall sockets to work.

Posted on: 04 July 2005 by Ancipital

Only thing I can think of offhand is that the cables coming out in the patchbox aren't the ones you think.

You need a tone generator or something like it, for example, the ones BT use to confirm what's what.

You should be able to get something off of Maplins for a reasonable price.

Posted on: 05 July 2005 by Matthew T

Sounds like you have the wires crossed when they shouldn't be. If you can get a crossed cat5 cable and run this somewhere between two locations it may elimnate your problem.

Posted on: 06 July 2005 by j8hn

don't think you can cross cat5 wiring unless deliberately as eveything is colourcoded.

I'm dealing with the correct cables as I said in my 1st post I continuity tested everything.

I've been giving myself a few days away from it. As I said my temporary lash up works so I can't b totally useless. I think I might be missing the glaringly obvious!

Posted on: 06 July 2005 by Berlin Fritz

In my day it used to be called ringing through; has really so much changed since then, is it really so very complicated ?

With all due respect Call a plumber John

Posted on: 07 July 2005 by j8hn

so in effect Fritz you're clling me a twat - thanks very much for your help.

Posted on: 07 July 2005 by Berlin Fritz

I'm not calling you anything, I don't make personal insults to anybody on this forum as a rule. What is a twat by the way ?

Fritz Von Jeff Beck's album 'Wired' is well worth a listen to, especially whils't you're working mate, assuming yer hifi's plugged in that is ?

Posted on: 10 July 2005 by SimonJ

quote:

There's two types of cabling for RJ45, straight through & the other is twisted pair.

All CAT5 cabling is generally UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair). The twisted pairs help to stop interference and keep the signal strength up. You are correct though that you can get straight through for connection via a hub, switch or router and crossed over for direct pc to pc connection. You need it to be wired straight through to one central location. Then at this location plug all the cables into a hub, switch or router.